Obstetrics/Gynaecology - Owen Sound
| Contact person: | Dr. Melissa Comette Dr. Stephanie Backman |
Grey Bruce Health Services (GBHS) has approximately 650 deliveries annually. We provide Obstetric and Gynecologic care for a catchment area of 157,000 people. GBHS is a Perinatal Level 2 community hospital with 5 Obstetricians, 1 family physician and 7 midwives that provide obstetrical care on an in-patient and outpatient basis. The Owen Sound Hospital and Obstetrical Staff provide all the Labour and Delivery and Caesarean Section services for all the communities in Grey Bruce Health Services including Meaford, Markdale, Southampton, Tobermory, Lion’s Head and Wiarton as well as Owen Sound. Many of the Family Physicians provide pre-natal care with referral to the Obstetrician at 32 weeks and also provide post natal care for the Mom and babe. The Hospitalist provides care to Newborns whose Mom does not have a Family Physician or whose family physician does not provide in hospital care.
Our population presents a case mix of low and high risk Obstetrical cases. With 24/7 on-call Pediatricians, we manage births from 32 weeks gestation and greater and newborns from1800 grams and greater. We are within three hours of tertiary care centers in Hamilton, Toronto and London. Extremely high risk patients are transferred to one of these centers, with London being our primary transfer centre. The Cesarean section rate is 23% and the epidural rate is 40%.
The model of care in the Childbirth Program is LBR (Labour, Birth and Recovery) in the birthing area with transfer to the postpartum unit which is located on the same floor post birth. Mother and baby are cared for together in the same room and by the same nurse and rooming-in is the norm. Women who have Cesarean deliveries are also transferred to the postpartum unit. Partners or support persons are encouraged to remain with mother and baby and are provided with cots to sleep if they choose to stay overnight. Breastfeeding is the standard approach to infant nutrition with all Nursing staff trained as coaches.
The Obstetricians provide opportunities for learning for the medical students, residents in family practice and midwifery students in their offices on the Hospital property, seeing Obstetrical and Gynecology clients as well as observation and participation in care provision in the in-patient setting and the Operating Suite and Ambulatory Care. There are also opportunities to spend time with a lactation consultant and observing circumcisions in Ambulatory Care.
The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology would encourage those Medical Residents looking for an experience in a rural setting to consider Owen Sound and Grey Bruce Health Services. Opportunities are available during the Sept to June time period each year with a maximum of one student at a time within the Department.
